A Helping Hand
by Pink-Libra-Girl
Summary: When Matt breaks his foot he refuses to let anyone help him, but maybe some wise words from a sort-of-friend can change that.


**What do my eyes see? It's another Glee story, everybody! A one-shot this time. And for those waiting on the next chapter of _Sound Through a Closed Door_ , rest assured, I'm working on it. :)**

 **Okay, so lately I've started to be fascinated by the mysterious wonder that is the one and only Matt Rutherford ;) Seriously though, I wish we had gotten to know Matt better. 3 lines in 20 episodes? That's just sad :(**

 **Anywho, he'll at least get more lines in this little one-shot! Which, again: sad! He gets more lines in a one-shot, than a whole season? (*smh*)**

 **This one-shot is actually kind of inspired by another one on here in which Mike broke his foot during dance practice, though I sadly don't remember the name of it at the moment.**

 **Either way... ENJOY! :D**

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"Here let me help you with-"

"No!" Matt snapped. Maybe a little bit too harshly he quickly realized as he saw the flash of hurt in his best friend's face, whose brown eyes flickered to the side. Matt glanced around as well, and noticed that -not so surprisingly- people were staring. The big question was just why they were staring. Was it because:

A) he, the shy and always so quiet, guy was almost yelling in the hallway;

B) he and Mike, the calm and friendly duo of the football team, were kind of fighting;

or

C) he was standing like a fool, on one leg, trying -and failing- with getting the horrible stack of papers in his backpack.

"Sorry..." Matt mumbled and then sighed exasperated. "I just don't need any help."

"You sure?" Mike asked; his voice was gentle, yet cautious.

"Mhm" Matt muttered before looking up at Mike again. "I'm not a baby. I don't need pity or help or people looking at me like I can't even stand on my own feet!"

He knew he was taking out his frustration on the wrong person; Mike just wanted to help, and Matt's own statement was dangerously close to become false as he swayed on his left foot. But he was just so tired of everyone treating him like he couldn't do anything by himself. He had just broken his foot.

"Just go ahead, I'll be there in a minute." Matt mumbled as he stared a hole in the floor. He could see Mike shuffle his feet a little from the corner of his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Mike asked again, a little more hesitant this time. Matt just continued to glare at the floor and another moment of awkward silence and people staring passed. Then finally Mike readjusted his own bag.

"Okay, if you say so." he mumbled, a sad tone to his voice, and slowly walked down the hallway, towards the choir room.

As the hallway started moving again in time with people getting tired of watching him Matt tried to once again fit the paper stack in his bag. With a sigh of defeat he realized that it was impossible and rested his head against the cold lockers, closing his eyes. He was having a really bad day, and now he had a headache...

Leaning against the lockers was one thing, closing his eyes a whole other. Though Matt didn't realize his huge mistake before he felt his legs getting swiped away from underneath him and the hard floor greeted him with rapid speed. Luckily he had managed to get his hands up and stop his nose from getting broken as well. Though his foot on the other hand still hurt like crazy. He was pretty sure that the idiot -whoever it now had been- had kicked his broken foot. _Who the hell does that?!_

Grunting in pain and shaking his head, Matt pushed himself up in a sitting position and quickly located his crutches. He then sighed heavily as he saw the "stack" of papers that now was everywhere on the floor. _Great..._

AS he tried to gather his papers as quickly -which really wasn't that quick- as he could Matt suddenly found himself staring at a neat pile of at least half of the papers being offered to him. He stared at the papers for a moment before slowly accepting them, almost expecting them to be thrown up in the air -the kids at McKinley weren't really the kindest of people after all.

"Thanks." he said, still a little stunned, and looked up at his helper. _Kurt Hummel._

That actually made Matt even more surprised. Not that Kurt wasn't nice or anything, he was actually one of the more decent people at McKinley, and he knew very well how it was to end up on the end of the jocks' antics. It was just that Matt didn't really know if he'd even had two proper conversations with the other boy. Matt was known as the quiet football dude at the school after all. It wasn't just that he was shy -which he by the way very much was- it was also that he just didn't have anything to say.

"Freaking neanderthal..." Kurt muttered, snapping Matt out of his thoughts. The smaller boy was shaking his head slowly, his gaze directed down the hall where Matt just could make out the red of a letterman jacket before it disappeared around the corner. Kurt turned around and looked at Matt again, and the football player found himself amazed by the boy's eyes. No, Matt was not gay or anything. He had just never seen the countertenor's eyes up close before; the color was really mystic.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked, looking concerned and Matt looked down at the floor again, suddenly remembering how embarrassing his situation was.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he mumbled, before his head snapped up again as the papers in his hands was taken from him. He saw Kurt holding all papers, fixing them in a neat stack before standing up, with a grace Matt was pretty sure he couldn't even muster on his best day. The boy then proceeded to pick up Matt's backpack that lied thrown onto the floor. Kurt frowned as he saw the mess in it and came to the same realization Matt had earlier; there was no way the papers would fit in there.

Shaking his head, Kurt simply slung the bag over his shoulder and let the paper stack rest against his hip as he reached out his right hand towards the boy, who -Matt suddenly realized himself- was still sitting dumbly on the dirty floors of McKinley's hallways. Slowly, and a bit reluctantly, Matt accepted it -not really wanting the help, but also knowing he probably wouldn't get up otherwise.

"Thanks..." Matt mumbled again shyly and Kurt smiled at him softly and reached out again, but suddenly jerked his hand back as if he'd been burnt. The boy quickly shook his head, his gaze trained on the floor as Matt glanced down at his own shoulder; there was a fine layer of dust lying. Matt stared at it, knowing fully well that he probably would end up on the floor again if he tried to remove it. He really wasn't that good with the crutches...

He also knew that Kurt had meant to do it for him until the countertenor had realized that it would require him actually touching Matt. Kurt rarely initiated physical contact with other boys. Unless it was someone he liked. It was just too bad that that "someone" was Finn. The quarterback wasn't really the guy to tell someone to back off -he was too much of a "nice guy" for that- and the only "gay" thing about him was his love to singing.

Other boys were also _very_ keen on keeping their distance from Kurt, harsh locker slams not included. Some even flinched away if the boy came to close. All that because of what? Because Kurt liked guys. It was all so idiotic that Matt didn't even know where to begin. He had no problem whatsoever with homosexuality; he actually had a cousin who was lesbian and he was totally fine with that. Sadly most people in school had a different mindset. Matt really didn't see what the big fuss was about.

"We should get going." Kurt said, snapping Matt from his thoughts once again as well as breaking the awkward silence that had fallen. He started walking away in a slow enough pace so Matt could keep up on the crutches. The football player quickly realized that despite the whole thing starting with him refusing to let Mike help him, he wasn't going to escape the diva's help. Matt was grateful though, he knew he would never make it to the choir room on his own. Walking with crutches was hard enough; carrying a stack of papers too? Impossible.

"You know," Kurt began and Matt was once again surprised. Helping him was one thing, but now he was starting up a friendly conversation with him too? Why didn't Matt talk to the boy more often? Right, because Matt wasn't really the talk-active kind of guy, and Kurt got defensive whenever anyone -except Finn- carrying a red letterman jacket approached him. Not that Matt could blame him. The jocks were cruel...

"You shouldn't be so hard on your friends, Matt." Kurt continued, unaware of the boy's thoughts, and Matt looked up at him surprised. Though the countertenor just continued to look ahead. "They just want to help because they care."

It took Matt a moment to find his voice. "I know." he said and Kurt glanced at him, raising a perfectly styled eyebrow. "I just don't want them to treat me like a baby." Matt continued to explain in a kind of muttering way. What Kurt did next shocked Matt even more. He _laughed_. Okay, it was more of a chuckle, but still... Matt wobbled slightly on his leg as the other boy suddenly stopped.

"Of course that is the problem here." Kurt mumbled to himself, rolling his eyes, and suddenly Matt found himself on the defense.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked and the other boy looked up at him surprised, almost as if he'd forgotten Matt was there, then his eyes softened.

"Nothing, it's just so stupid." Kurt said, but before Matt could defend himself again the boy continued. "But I get it, I really do. Being on crutches suck!"

Matt blinked at the boy, once again surprised. "You've been on crutches?"

"Mhm," Kurt hummed as he started walking again. "And I was just like you, refusing to let anyone help me with anything. Which turned out to be really, really stupid."

Matt looked at the boy curious; he wanted to ask what happened, but wasn't sure if it was his place. They weren't exactly friends. Though it turned out he didn't have to.

"It was in eighth grade I think." Kurt continued as if he'd read the jock's mind. "Though it was a completely different accident, no football involved, the result became the same. A few weeks on the crutches, and like I said, I totally refused any offered help. So I ended up prolonging the whole thing with another week and had to spend quite a bit of it in the hospital."

Matt stared at him. _Hospital?!_ "What happened?"

Kurt shrugged, "I was too stubborn, I guess." he said as the choir room came into view. "And I thought walking up from my basement room by myself was a good idea. Let me tell you, it wasn't. I fell backwards."

"God, are you okay?!" Matt exclaimed as they entered the room, causing several heads to snap up. "Well, obviously you are, I mean being here and all, but I mean, you know..." he shut his mouth, suddenly rambling as he became very aware of the teenagers watching them.

Kurt let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, thank Gaga. It could have been a lot worse. But I just gave myself one heck of a concussion, worsened my foot a little and made my dad force me to use a wheelchair if I was going anywhere that wasn't in the room."

"Ouch," Matt said sympathetically, trying not to look at Mike, whose face was a mix of confusion, relief and hurt. "But I guess you learned your lesson?"

"Oh no, definitely not!" Kurt said with another laugh as Matt sat down on the chair beside Mike. "I would totally do the same if it happened again, though I might let Dad walk behind in the stairs." Kurt continued as he placed both the bag and papers on the chair beside Matt before looking at the boy in question seriously.

"Don't be a fool, Matt. I know you can still do things by yourself, but there's nothing wrong with asking for help. Swallow the pride and be glad you have friends who care. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Matt said, nodding towards the boy. " Thanks Kurt."

Kurt gave him a quick nod before sitting down besides Mercedes. Matt could hear her ask what "that" was about, though Kurt simply dismissed it and soon the two were deep in a conversation about fashion, or something else Matt didn't really get. He continued to watch them for a moment, the countertenor's advice echoing in his head, before Mr. Schue came into the room.

The hour passed with its usual level of drama, and Matt didn't even dare to think about interfering as Rachel loudly voiced her opinions about this week's assignment.

"Hey, Mike…" Matt said afterwards when almost everyone had left the room. His friend looked up, a bit surprised, from his position waiting by the door.

"Think you can help me out a bit?" Matt asked and nodded to the stack of papers still on the chair. Relief crossed the football player/dancer's face at the question, and he quickly nodded.

"Yeah, sure thing." Mike said with a smile.

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 _ **THE END!**_

 **Hope you liked it! Reviews are always appreciated! :D**

 **Until the next story dear readers! :) /Libra**


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